Twists of Fate
by Marina Ka-Fai
Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not english, it's french. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I've had this idea in my head for almost three years but I never dared starting because I thought I needed to stay as close to the first season as I could. But hey, it's fanfic, so as long as the timeline is respected enough, I guess no one will be mad at me for displacing a comma. I hope you'll like the idea I had. Note that I have only seen the first two seasons but it was a long time ago.

 **Twists of Fate**

 **Chapter 1**

From the corner of his eye, Jerome noticed Patricia's cellphone. The Scooby Gang she was part of was starting to really piss him off. Always snooping around, acting like he was dumb enough to believe the lies they fed him.

Nina being into Egyptian mysteries? Why not? He didn't know her enough to declare it was unusual of her.

Fabian being into Egyptian mysteries? The guy was a nerd, curious about everything and most importantly, way into Nina. So, no surprise there.

Patricia? That was one of the things he couldn't really understand. Patricia was by no mean a bad person. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and when Nina arrived on the same day Joy left, of course, she grew suspicious. Who wouldn't? He had enjoyed the prank she played on her, he didn't like it when it turned into bullying. And now, like four months after all this, she was hanging out with the girl she harassed from the very beginning like it was nothing. Everything was suddenly forgotten. While it was good of Patricia to overcome that hatred and to befriend Nina, it was happening way too fast for it to be completely genuine. Something was definitely off, it was linked to Joy's disappearance. He could be called a schemer, she was no better, to be honest.

But the worst blow was Alfie. Alfie having fun with them and their Egyptian mysteries? Alfie was the type of guy who would like it. And he certainly was bound by a promise to remain quiet. Jerome wasn't stupid, he had seen it in his best friend's eyes, he wanted to talk but he couldn't. He could respect that. However, they were supposed to be best friends, to never hide anything from one another, except for pranks and surprises.

Mara was off again in Mick's adventure land, Alfie had joined Nina's crew and despite trying, no one seemed to want to fit in him.

And when they'd need him, they'd rush back to him, trying to win his favour.

Oh, they could always try. He'd have fun all by himself. He scrolled through Patricia's texts and found a special number: Rene Zeldman. The guy she had contacts with when she tried to locate Joy. And he too, apparently, was searching for what the Scooby Gang was looking for.

He smirked.

If they wanted to play, he could too.

"Game on." He thought as he texted Rene.

 _XXXXX_

"It will cost you." Jerome confidently said. "This kind of work isn't free."  
"Of course. If you can't have something out of it, why bother?" Rufus agreed

He took some money from his wallet and gave it to the teenager before letting him go. He watched as Jerome vanished. He had to admit it, he had been kind of surprised to receive a message from a student, living in the House of Anubis, offering help, a good one at that. The kid knew what he was talking about. Whatever his reasons were, it was a help he wouldn't spit on, especially when time was running out. Jerome would be able to search in places he couldn't. As a student of this school, it wouldn't be weird for him to be seen wandering around, while he could be seen as a creep. What kind of "man in his forties" hung around a school? He certainly didn't need the police on his heels while he investigated for the cup. Yet, there was something about that kid that remained in his mind. He didn't know why it clicked, why it stuck around. That boy was just like any other teenagers, playing with fire to test his limits.

Was it because he was glad to have found a possible reliable spy and ally? Possibly. But he knew it wasn't the real reason.

Was it because the boy, with his recklessness and confidence, reminded him of him in his younger days? Maybe.

He sighed. No, he had to be honest:

What unsettled him the most about Jerome Clarke, the reason the boy's image remained his brain for too long, was his eyes.

They shared the same, the shape, the colour, even the fire in them.

Also, why in God's name did that kid look exactly like him when he was his age?

 **To Be Continued**

 **So, this is how chapter 1 ends, I'm sorry it seems a bit short and I hope you like it enough to follow the rest of it!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary:  When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I've had this idea in my head for almost three years but I never dared to start because I thought I needed to stay as close to the first season as I could. But hey, it's fanfic, so as long as the timeline is respected enough, I guess no one will be mad at me for displacing a comma. I hope you'll like the idea I had. Note that I have only seen the first two seasons but it was a long time ago.

 **Twists of Fate  
Chapter 2  
**

If he had been able to, Rufus would have punched himself in the face for how stupid he was being. The Chosen's ritual was a few months away, he still needed to know how to assemble the cup, to plan the whole thing carefully to be able to gain eternal life, at last. Yet, here he was, hiding, trying to sneak on a teenager to find something he could run tests on. He had no time to waste, he knew it, yet here he was, wasting it on something trivial. That Jerome boy would be the death of him. His image hadn't left his mind since they met. His eyes had engraved themselves in his brain, for a reason he could not grasp. And that feeling of seeing and speaking to his younger self didn't help either. Rufus had managed to deal with it easily until a simple thought crossed his mind, one that stuck with him, one he couldn't shake away and he had to admit, one that scared him as well. While he had no wife, no fiancée, no girlfriend, like many men, he had one night stands. And remembering that, remembering Jerome's face, the idea popped in his brain and had the effect of a bomb blasting on him:

For all he knew, Jerome could be the result of one of his ephemeral romances.

"What would it change?" He had wondered "Even if he's my kid, what does it change to my goal? I'm not his dad, I'll never be his dad, so why bother?"

The boy came from a family wealthy enough to send him to a boarding school. So, why bother? He wasn't even certain he was his kid in the first place. Maybe Jerome Clarke was just what he was supposed to be when they first met: a teenager whose spirit was close to the child he had once been. He was getting soft and he hated that. Yet, he needed to know, to be able to put all of this nonsense behind him and focus again on the cup of Ankh.

"Coincidences don't exist. You know that better than anyone else. Why else would you find yourself here, where everything started? By sheer dumb luck?"

And here he stood again, losing track of what really mattered. He hoped the kid would find valuable pieces of information for him, or even better, pieces of the cup itself, or else, it could get bloody. And by God, those teenagers chit-chat was driving him even crazier than he actually was. Finally, Jerome left with his friends, not before throwing in a garbage bin the MacDonald's cup he had been drinking from. Rufus quickly retrieved it and properly sealed it.

Now, it was just a matter of hours before he could forget everything about Jerome Clarke and focus on his quest.

 _XXXXX_

Sitting in his van, the results in hand, Rufus wasted no time in opening the envelope. However, he took his sweet time reading everything, so he wouldn't miss any data or misinterpret them. Once done, he sunk on his seat more. The papers were absolutely clear about what they indicated, there was no place for mistakes. For one brief moment, a genuine panic grew in his soul as he uttered for himself:

"I'm screwed."

Jerome Clarke was really going to be the death of him.

But if he was going to be the death of him, Rufus had to admit that dying by the hand of his own illegitimate son would be as beautiful as it'd be ironic.

However, one question popped into his mind.

"What to do now?"

 **To Be Continued**

 **Hope you still like it, I'll try and make longer and longer chapters!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I've had this idea in my head for almost three years but I never dared to start because I thought I needed to stay as close to the first season as I could. But hey, it's fanfic, so as long as the timeline is respected enough, I guess no one will be mad at me for displacing a comma. I hope you'll like the idea I had. Note that I have only seen the first two seasons but it was a long time ago.

 **Twists of Fate  
Chapter 3  
**

Waiting for Jerome to arrive for their secret meeting, the papers in hand, Rufus wondered if the choice he had made was the right one. He still needed time to accept that truth that had exploded to his face:

He had a child.

He had briefly wondered if he had more somewhere. If he had one, there could be more. He had wondered why he felt so weird, knowing that he had fathered Jerome one night with a woman he had never seen after he had finished his business with her. Having a son didn't change anything in his quest for the cup of Ankh and immortality. And yes, Jerome coming to him to offer his help, both unaware of their blood link, that was quite a slap on Fate's part. Or at least, he assumed Jerome didn't know. And to be honest, things would be way easier if he was kept in the dark. Rufus had no time for parenting a teenager. He didn't know how to anyway. It had never interested him.

"Then, why the hell did I decide to let him know?"

Was he scared of being alone? Not particularly. He had been alone for years. However, the idea of him having an heir was kind of soothing. Someone to pass on his legacy, to have him carry it on. He could see the appeal, especially when Jerome reminded him so much of him at his age. Physically, yes. But most importantly, morally. How old was Jerome? Fifteen? Sixteen? Yet, his eyes, so similar to his own, showed an intelligence and wisdom beyond his years, an ambition burning, a mischievous glee, not yet turned into the cruel waves his own pupils were able to show. The boy hadn't been tainted by madness yet. Because Rufus was clear-minded enough to know he was what people would qualify as "bonkers". Jerome was sassy, Jerome was cunning, Jerome was definitely his father's son while he had never been raised by him whatsoever.

"And it should remain that way."

Did he want to have a family? No. he was pretty sure he didn't want one. He didn't need one. He'd let Jerome know out of honesty, and if Jerome had to know, knowing it by him was the best option. It wouldn't change anything. But at least, no one could use the information against them to try and stop them. He had made his bed long ago and he wouldn't undo it to make it again. It had to be worth it before doing it. Jerome was his son. Nothing would change because of that. So why was the idea still haunting his mind? He could just hide the truth and disappear after his goal was achieved. Then why? The fact that he couldn't answer upset him.

Finally, the teenager showed up, his face clearly showing he had been unsettled by the early appointment. He was worried.

"I know you are in a rush but some things need time, you know?" He tried to say, as cocky as ever

"I didn't ask you to come here for results. I'm well aware it's a too short notice." Rufus replied

Without a word, not looking at him, he handed over the papers.

"What is it?" Jerome asked

With one quick move of the head, he let him know he could open and read.

"You stole something with my DNA for tests?!" The young man protested

"Just read already!" He retorted

This was one of the many reasons he didn't really wish for a relationship with Jerome, or any other kids he might have fathered. He had no patience for this whatsoever. Yet, a voice in his head stated he could understand the boy's protest. He really was getting soft. And that kid was going to be the death of him. He took the opportunity to discreetly watch as Jerome was reading. He could easily remember his past lover, fifteen or sixteen years ago. He didn't have that many in the first place. A tall blonde woman with mahogany eyes, lost in life. He could definitely see a bit of her in their son. While Jerome looked a lot like him, the softness of his traits came from her. She had turned her life around if she had managed to marry someone named Clarke, and sending Jerome in a boarding school. He saw the boy turning white, his hands shaking. He didn't know. And he had just shattered his world.

"And they say I'm the king of pranks." Jerome tried to joke, trying to act like an adult nothing could shake. "I've met my master."

"I have no time for pranks, Jerome."

The fake smile the teenager had on his face fell. He had shattered his world and somehow, for a reason, yet another one, he couldn't understand, it upset him.

"Did you know? Before?" The student managed to ask in a whisper

"I'm as surprised as you are."

His voice had come out more gentle that he had wanted to.

"Then, why did you feel the need to carry out tests? Especially when you are in a hurry?"

That boy definitely was his child. He was having the same questions.

"Because looking at you was looking at my past self and that was a first."

Jerome kept silent, still staring at the results.

"Take them. Double check if you wish."

"Why this kindness?"

"I'm not _kind_ , Jerome." Rufus hissed. "I'm anything but kind. You said these could be forged. A clever thought. I know they aren't. You don't. Double check. That way, you can trust me, at least on me telling you the truth."

Jerome hid the papers in his schoolbag, took a short breath to try and set him straight. No one had to know what he had discovered, what he was feeling. He put on a good face, and Rufus assumed he'd work on a fake smile on his way back to school. And Rufus had to admit that, so far, for a kid, Jerome was pretty good at this.

"When do we see each other next time?"

"The day we had first agreed on."

The teenager nodded but as he turned his heels, ready to face his comrades in a few minutes, he quickly glanced at him, and with a still shaky, unsure voice, he said:

"The Scooby Gang are almost certain more clues for the cup are actually _inside_ the house I live in during school days."

One information for another, Jerome kept his deals, it appeared. Rufus nodded, quickly thanking him and he watched as he left.

And for once, if Jerome's eyes didn't remain in his brain, if the idea that the he had a son didn't haunt him as much, a feeling of guilt over having destroyed his child's world was weighing on him, for a reason he couldn't understand.

 **To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I've had this idea in my head for almost three years but I never dared to start because I thought I needed to stay as close to the first season as I could. But hey, it's fanfic, so as long as the timeline is respected enough, I guess no one will be mad at me for displacing a comma. I hope you'll like the idea I had. Note that I have only seen the first two seasons but it was a long time ago.

 **Twists of Fate  
Chapter 4**

"Are you all right, dude?" Alfie asked him, worried "You look... sick?"

Startled, Jerome quickly regained his composure and offered his best friend and partner in pranks a dashing smile.

"Yeah, I am."

"Jerome."

The teenager sighed.

"Just family worries." He confessed

That wasn't a lie, not really, after all, his mind was preoccupied with family matters. However, it wasn't the family Alfie assumed it was. His friend remained quiet, his gaze softened and he quickly but warmly patted his shoulder. While Jerome had never explained his entire family drama to Alfie, how he was left by his parents in this boarding school at age five, and according to Jerome, left there to rot, his best friend knew enough to understand that family was a touchy subject for him. Hence why he never spoke of it, why Alfie never raised the question and whenever Jerome brought it up, it meant it was hurtful and important. Alfie would be there to listen if needed, but he wouldn't try and dig further.

" _Adoptive_ parents." Jerome mentally corrected himself **  
**

When he had read the papers Rufus gave him, he had felt the world collapsing under his feet. Then, he felt completely lost.

Who was he? He couldn't call himself a Zeldman, or a Zeno, whatever real identity Rufus had. It wasn't as if the man had stated a desire to claim him as his child.

Who was he? His current name was Jerome Clarke. But that identity was based on a lie. While it was true that family didn't necessarily mean blood links, with what the people he had called parents for almost sixteen years had done to him, abandoning him into this boarding school while he was only five, his father suddenly disappearing from his life and his mother only taking him back home for summer, he couldn't really say he was a true Clarke. Was his first name his real name too? Was his name truly Jerome? Why would his parents have been through the pains and hardships of adopting him, or taking him in, if it was to leave him in a school for most of the year, starting so early in life?

"Wait!" He thought "Are these papers even real?"

There was always a chance they could be forged. It seemed unlikely though. Rufus didn't know of his feud against the Scooby Gang. He seemed to have a deadline for the cup he was looking for. Why would he waste time and money to have such a scheme against him? What did he have to gain in doing that? His loyalty? He already had it, at least for now. The only thing he could do was visit the labs the papers came from. And hope this was all just a dream.

 _XXXXX_

"May I help you?" The welcoming agent greeted

"I'd like to have those papers double-checked." Jerome asked

"Only a few people are allowed this request."

"I am the teenager listed as Mister Zeno's biological son."

He had to look either pitiful and broken or incredibly sweet because the young woman's gaze softened and asked for his ID card. He handed over the results. She quickly examined them.

"Are they forged?" He said

"You're direct. No, those are official papers."

She searched on her computer and after a few moments, she turned the screen to him. Saved on her library was the file she had edited and printed.

"Would you like to meet the doctor who performed the tests?" She offered "Sir. Are you okay?"

It was only when she called him "sir" that he came back to Earth. He was staring at the screen and had felt so disconnected. This was all true. His entire life had been a lie. Rufus was his birth father and he had unknowingly came to him, just to piss Sibuna off. All the questions he had had earlier came rushing back in his head. Who was he? Truly? Who was he? Some things remained, and he clung to those certainties. He was the king of pranks. That was certain. He had been left in boarding school to rot, which he did. His qualities, his drawbacks, those were crystal clear. But they weren't enough to build a character. What was his true name? What would his last name be? If Rufus was his father, where was his mother? Who was she? Was she even still alive? Did he have blood siblings somewhere?

"I'll be fine." He managed to say in a whisper

"Are you sure?" The woman insisted "Would you like some water? I can also call a cab for you. It's okay to feel lost."

Jerome liked that she tried, though it didn't ease him much.

"If you could be kind enough to ask for a cab to drive me back to Anubis House, please?"

Jerome had only one last thing to do now, something he loathed and dreaded:

It was time to visit "Mommy dearest."

 _XXXXX_

Facing the door of the house he only lived in for summer, Jerome felt his resolve crumbling. He couldn't face her with the truth. He was afraid of her words, of getting hurt again, because while she had never raised her hand on him, she had neglected him on the affection level. He had never missed anything: food, clothes, education. Just the essential: love. Convincing Victor to let him go on a Saturday morning had been strangely easy. Once home, he had knocked on his door.

"Enter." The caretaker had barked

"Good afternoon, Victor."

"Hello, Jerome. What do you want?"

"I'd like your permission to go outside of town for Saturday."

This was unusual of him and he had spotted Victor's eyebrow-raising in curiosity.

"I need to know where you wish to go. Security measures."

"I'd like to visit my mother."

Jerome had almost spat the word mother and he had hoped Victor hadn't noticed it. Strangely, the stern man had softened.

"Did anything happen, Jerome? I could help you with it."

"I know you would, Victor. But you can't. It's something I need to talk to her about and it can't be done on the phone, it's... delicate, to say the least."

The man had sighed.

"Very well then. You have my permission."

"Thank you, Victor."

"But! You have to come to my office before you leave, you call Trudy once you're there, once you leave the place and you come straight home, before curfew. Am I clear?"

"I wouldn't miss the sound of your pin falling on the floor for anything." Jerome tried to joke

"I can always take that permission back."

Jerome had kept a low profile until that day and obeyed. He knocked on the door. And the look on Joan's face was priceless.

"What are you doing here?" She asked

"Hello, Mom. Always a pleasure seeing you. May I enter?" He sassily replied

As he walked inside, he asked if Poppy was home. He learnt she was out with friends. For once, Jerome was glad. Despite their arguments, he loved his little sister to death and he didn't want her to have to witness what could be the end of the dysfunctional but still family they had.

"Adoptive sister." He corrected himself

Though adopted or not, Poppy would always be his little sister. One to annoy out of fun, but deep down one to cherish and protect.

"Let's get down to business. What do you want, Jerome?"

Without a word, Jerome opened his schoolbag and handed over the test results. Joan's green eyes quickly scanned them before she had a small, wicked smile.

"So. Your father finally found you. It was high time after almost sixteen years. Maybe now you can have your actual last name."

While he felt his world crashing down once again, he did his best to hide it, he would not give her that satisfaction.

"So, it's true then." He emotionlessly stated "I am not your biological son."

"My husband and I adopted you, yes." She commented "Since your father was nowhere to be found and your mother had abandoned you after giving birth to you."

Jerome felt a blow in his heart, yet another wound he hid. And judging from Joan's face, the nightmare was far from over.

 **To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I've had this idea in my head for almost three years but I never dared to start because I thought I needed to stay as close to the first season as I could. But hey, it's fanfic, so as long as the timeline is respected enough, I guess no one will be mad at me for displacing a comma. I hope you'll like the idea I had. Note that I have only seen the first two seasons but it was a long time ago.

 **Twists of Fate  
Chapter** **5**

A phone call had interrupted their talk. Joan had answered and how quickly she could put on a mask reminded Jerome of his own ability. Even if he wasn't of her blood, he could still be her son, in that regard.

"I'm so sorry Natalie, I cannot talk much right now." She said with a faked happiness. "Why, my precious Jerome surprised me with a visit! Yes, isn't he sweet? He came all the way from London, just to make me smile on a Saturday morning! Oh, Jerome, Honey, don't stand there, take some juice, make yourself comfortable!"

Taking the opportunity, Jerome obeyed. The news she had thrown in his face were still waltzing in his head and he didn't want to give her the joy of seeing him affected by asking if he could sit. He wasn't a Clarke. Maybe he wasn't even a Jerome, to begin with. And his birth mother hadn't wanted him in the first place, but instead of aborting him, she had abandoned him. Joan hung up and sat, facing him.

"You went through the troubles of adopting a child." He started "Yet when I was five, you dumped me in boarding school."

"As if it was a terrible fate."

"It's not. The school and the house are great. But even the staff found it harsh, leaving a five years old there, only taking him back for summer. Adopting is a hassle. So why did you adopt me if it was only to dump me there afterwards?"

"Because Poppy was there."

The fact that she sounded so calm, that it was so obvious for her, sickened him.

"You see, sixteen years ago, your adoptive father and I wanted to have a child but we couldn't conceive, for some reason. So, we went to the orphanage and they told us a new baby had arrived a few months earlier, abandoned at birth by his mother and with an unknown father. John loved you at first sight. And believe it or not, I did too."

Jerome scoffed.

"I guess that's why you chose a blond haired baby boy with blue eyes?"

"That was a coincidence."

The teenager took a sip of his orange juice.

"You gave us great satisfaction as our son. But then, five years after, I finally became pregnant with Poppy."

"So, what changed?"  
"Don't act dumb. I finally had a _true_ child of my own, not one I had found in a _thrift store_. But the papers had been signed, we couldn't possibly drive you back there and people around had grown fond of you. Abandoning you again would have destroyed this family's reputation. So I did the only logical thing: I left you in a school where you'd be taken care of while I could focus on my _real_ child."

Jerome wanted to puke. There was a bitterness in the back of his throat and he felt sick. He had always known that his "mother" had her reasons, but he had always hoped that, deep down, she loved him, as a mother should. Or at least, the best a mother could, depending on her character. He had just been a doll, a useless one as soon as Poppy was born.

"Was I already given a name when you took me in?" He managed to ask

"You talk of yourself as if you were a stray dog."

"You treat me like one. Expensively, I grant you that."

Joan sighed.

"Yes. You already had a name when we adopted you. We didn't change it. Your name is the one your birth mother gave you before she left you there. And before you ask, we know nothing of her, just that you were healthy. So, was that all? Does your birth father want to take you in, now that the hassle of raising a child is over and that you're a man?"

"My father will have to thank Trudy for that. She raised me. You paid her to do so. He'll thank you for your money."

Joan had a small laugh.

"Whatever you say, _son_."

Jerome bid her farewell and he left. Once outside, he isolated himself in a dark alley, where he allowed himself to cry silently. All of this was so much worse than what he had imagined! He had been a toy for his adoptive mother, cast aside when she had her blood running in a child she gave birth to, his birth mother had abandoned him as soon as he was born yet she felt the need to name him, and his real father was scheming against the Scooby Gang, and the Scooby Gang meant Patricia, but most importantly Alfie. He felt lost. Lost, scared and alone, like a newborn.

He dried his eyes.

It was time to go back to the house.

 _XXXXX_

Laying on his bed, Jerome was trying to digest everything he had learnt. All the hardships thrown at his face. Once home, Trudy had rushed to him to welcome him back, just to worry immediately afterwards. Jerome had seen his reflection in a mirror and it wasn't a pretty sight. He looked down, sad and broken. Well, even more, broken than he usually was.

"I'm simply tired. The ride was long and it was hot in the car." He had offered

"I have saved you some cookies from this afternoon, chocolate chips! I'll brew you a nice and warm cup of tea."

He had managed to smile. Trudy definitely was the mother he had needed when he was growing up.

"Welcome back, Jerome." Victor had greeted from upstairs

"Good evening, Victor."

"Did you learn what you needed to know?" He had carefully asked in a low voice, not wanting anyone to hear, as he approached the teenager

"Yes, and far beyond."

"Are you okay?"

"Just tired."

Alfie's footsteps in the corridor broke his thoughts as he got up.

"Alfie?" He asked

"Yeah, mate?" His best friend replied "Gods, Jerome, dude, you look awful! What happened?"

Jerome tried to offer him a smile.

"Believe it or not, I need a shoulder to cry on."

His voice had shaken and Alfie's worries grew. Jerome couldn't blame him, it was very unusual of him to show how battered he could be inside.

"Of course. Always."

But as he was about to enter their room, Patricia's voice called him out, urging him to join her, Nina and Fabian needed them for a "puzzle". To Alfie's credit, he replied he'd join them later, Jerome needed a hand for something important.

"Jerome's a big boy perfectly able to care for himself!" The young woman's voice shouted back "I swear, if you don't come down, I will make you!"

Alfie's apologetic face was yet another blow Jerome had to endure.

"I'll make this quick, I swear! I promise you, I'll listen to you tonight after curfew!"

Jerome looked as Alfie left, running, only to be scolded by Victor. Once perfectly alone, the teenager took his pillow and angrily punched in it a few times.

He really had nothing left, didn't he?

His adoptive father had vanished ever since he came to this boarding school.

His adoptive mother flat out admitted he had been a doll she got bored of.

His birth mother had gotten rid of him.

His birth father was after something sought by his classmates.

Mara had ditched him as soon as Mick came back.

And now, even Alfie seemed to prefer the Scooby Gang's company.

He felt his eyes burning with unshed tears. He tried to hold them in before realizing no one really cared about him, or had even really cared from the start. Well, there was always Trudy, but Trudy didn't make him special. She was motherly with all the students that she was entrusted with. Why did he even bother to remain strong, when he had been left all alone in every sense of the term?

He let them free.

 _XXXXX_

Jerome had pretended to be asleep at 10.00 pm, so Alfie wouldn't try to have him talk to him. He didn't feel like it anymore, he didn't feel like doing or enjoying anythçing anymore. His life had been built on a lie and right now, as it had crumbled, he was trying not to drown in the mess it created. He didn't even try to spy on Alfie when he snuck out one hour later. He knew it was a mistake because the more data he could get, the happiest Rufus would be. The happiest his father would be. If he could call him that.

"I help him, I betray my friends. I help my friends, he has my head on a spike. He's not a man to be crossed. Yet... He showed me more kindness this past week than the people who call themselves my friends."

If he had to be completely honest, he didn't really include Mara in it. Mara was clumsy, but to her credit, she still tried to reach out. It was just that she was still so helplessly in love with her athlete, the second he returned, she forgot about the bond they had newly forged together. And to his own admission, his jealous streak didn't help either. And he couldn't say he was friends with Mick. But Alfie, Patricia, they knew what they were doing and yet, they weren't feeling bad about it. Yes, Jerome had seen Alfie's hesitation and he was certainly bound by some kind of promise, and Alfie Lewis was the type of man to remain true to his words. It still hurt though. A promise was important. Wasn't their friendship even more important than this hypothetical promise of his? Jerome wondered what his life would have been like if he had been raised by Rufus. Yes, the guy was clearly dangerous and nuts, however, he didn't owe him anything. He still gave him the test results. He gave him the chance to double-check them, to uncover the truth. Rufus wouldn't have been the greatest dad, for sure. He could have shown what was qualified as tough love. They would have moved around a lot. Yet, with this simple honest gesture he made, Jerome was certain Rufus would have cared, to an extent. Or so he liked to believe, knowing fine well this fantasy was fed by his bleeding soul. And deep down, he knew it was just the beginning of the heartache.

Soon, he'd have to make a choice.

And either way, he was going to get screwed.

 **To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: House of Anubis belongs to Hans Bourlon and to Gert Verhulst.

Summary: When that Jerome kid had come offering his services, Rufus was very far from imagining the journey that was about to start.

Author's note: Please note that my first language is not English, it's French. If you find any mistakes or weird sentence, let me know, so I can better myself. While I know I am almost fluent and while I do read after myself and use Grammarly to help, sometimes, a mistake can pass by.

Second note: I'm so sorry for a such a long hiatus, life got busy and I got writer's block on this story despite having crafted a chapter guide! But recently, I've been doing some workout at home while rewatching HOA so, it kinda helps!

 **Twists of Fate  
Chapter ****6**

Just one glance at Jerome had been enough for Rufus to understand that he had done his homework and confirmed their parentage. The young man had that mask, that faked aura of confidence, the image of an unshakable teenager, yet, as soon as he saw him, his eyes betrayed what his heart was desperately trying to conceal. He looked tired, destroyed.

"Hello, Jerome." He greeted him, his face and voice neutral

"Hello, Rufus."

Jerome had tried to compose himself again, determined to not let himself appear weak. A little too late, though the Betrayer appreciated the effort.

"Before you ask." His son started. "I don't have any pieces yet. I'm sorry for it."

The adult simply shrugged it off. To say Jerome was surprised was an understatement.

"I... I thought you were in a rush!" He stuttered

"I am." Rufus replied. "But, you are my son. I guess I can be a bit more lenient."

What worried Rufus the most was that he actually meant it. Had it been another person, he would have battled his urge to murder him, trying to threaten him to scare him so bad he'd lose sleep trying to collect what he needed. And somehow, just because that kid facing him shared his DNA, he found himself softer. More patient. While he had known him for just a few weeks, having met him twice or thrice. Family was dangerous, one of the many, many reasons he hadn't sought one. Family made people weak and he couldn't afford it. He knew all of that and yet, here he stood, facing a teenager he had fathered one night with a woman he had seen once or twice in his lifetime, giving in what he feared the most. Jerome took the files from his backpack and handed them over.

"Keep them." The adult said.

"I'd rather not. The Scooby Gang is noisy and they tend to search into people's stuff. Nina managed to even steal a key from Victor. If she managed to do that, she can definitely access my bags. I doubt you want this data going public. Who knows what they'd do, what Victor would do if he knew?"

Rufus couldn't help smirking.

"You're sharp. Even though you don't know why Victor's after me."

"I just know that the Scooby Gang believes he's a villain and they are wary of you too."

He took them.

"I had them double-checked." Jerome continued. "You... You were right. I... I also confronted my adoptive mother. She told me everything and beyond."

There was bitterness in his voice. The adult felt it. He also noted the "adoptive". That meant Jerome's biological mother had given him up for adoption or she lost custody when he was very young. Yet another blow he had inflicted on his child and he still could not understand why it upset him so much.

"Apparently, my birth mother gave me up as soon as I was born, after naming me." Jerome explained.

"You still got a family." Rufus casually remarked

The teenager had a bitter laugh.

"Oh yeah, what a family! My adoptive father disappeared from my life when I was four, my adoptive mother dumped me here at five, only taking me back during summer holidays and her only reason is that, once she had a child born from her womb, I became a burden, a doll she got bored of but couldn't throw out anymore. Those are her own words."

The adult scoffed.

"Still better than being an orphan."

"Yeah, after all, I was raised by Trudy, the woman hired by the school she expensively pays for her peace of mind. Joan Clarke left me here to rot and that's exactly what I did."

It explained things. It definitely explained things. He had thought Jerome a bit too mature for his years, he guessed he now knew why. And, for some reason, he found himself loathing that Clarke woman. He was no saint, far from that but at least, he did not adopt a child until he had one of his blood, then discarding the one he had taken in earlier. Children were the few people he considered untouchable. If he had to kidnap one to gain what he wanted, he'd do it. He would not like it, but he'd do it. However, he would not hurt him. He didn't start a family for many reasons and one of them was the fact that he knew he wouldn't have been able to manage his fatherly duties alongside his quest for the cup of Ankh. Jerome being born was a surprise, something definitely not planned at all. But that woman, she simply broke a little boy's heart because she got tired of her toy she had once craved. Pitiful. Families definitely were overrated.

"Nina and her group talk of pieces or puzzles." Jerome confessed. "If it's any help."

Rufus' eyes lit up.

"Do they have any?!" He exclaimed

"I... I think so." The student replied, a bit intimidated by the sudden change of mood. "I heard Patricia calling Alfie to help them solve a puzzle. I think they try to solve riddles that lead them to clues then to puzzles. I have no idea of the finality of it."

The man chuckled, giving Jerome the creeps.

"They're already so far!" He thought. "Definitely doing better work than Victor and his stupid society!"

He looked at the boy.

"Try and steal them from them. Even just one."

Seeing his hesitation, his expression got hard and stern.

"Listen carefully. I can show patience and tolerance, considering what we learnt and who we are to one another. But there is no way out for you. You're in until the whole thing is over. You know what too much for me to let you go."

"What do you need them for?"

He was scared, definitely scared but he had tried to face him. Rufus actually liked that.

"Those might lead me to what I am searching. I need them so I can study them."

"If I steal one, they'll notice. And they'll search. I might get busted. I'm off Victor's radar but I'm Alfie's roommate and he's in their stupid fraternity."

"Jerome." Rufus told him. "You are a boy with a good brain and actual talents. I just need a way to study them."

Their meeting ended and Jerome hurried back to school, he was running late for Mrs Andrew's French class. And as his son was going away, Rufus couldn't help staring as he left. His son... It still felt weird to think he had a son. A son who was so much like him in so many ways. And he still couldn't understand why he cared so much about him. It was annoying. As soon as he had learnt Jerome had his blood in his veins, he had started to suddenly care, to worry, heck, at some point, he had even considered finding a way for both of them to become immortal through the cup! Families were burdens, crutches and as soon as Jerome appeared, he had let him in under the pretext that he had conceived him one day. While he would not have even bothered if he had been a stranger. That was pathetic, hypocritical and he hated it. He had been alone for decades, he had been absolutely fine with it, so why was he getting attached to a teenager he'd leave anyway once his goal reached, son or not?! He couldn't even say he loved the boy, he didn't know him enough to be able to affirm he did. Rufus was capable of love. Deep down, he had never stopped being able to love someone. But this was a feeling he had buried a long time ago and then came Jerome and his eyes, inherited from him, exhuming the heart he had left behind long ago. With the simple fact that he was his child. A child who was his heir, in body and spirit, the child he used to be before all of this mess. Was this a sign from Fate? He didn't believe in coincidences. He sighed. Jerome would be the death of him but he too was too far involved now. He knew they were related and the boy had crept into his life with no warning. Rufus would win this war, he'd get eternal life, and he'd get it for Jerome too. He'd protect him until father and son would defy the Grim Reaper's expectations.

Because, now that he knew, now that he cared, there was no way he'd bury Jerome once his time was up.

He wasn't even sure that the remainder of sanity would survive this.

 **To Be Continued**


End file.
